Recall 'Theft-Prone' Hyundais, Kias: Illinois Attorney General To Feds

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is one of 18 state officials across the country calling for a federal recall of Kia and Hyundai vehicles based on the companies’ “continued failure” to address theft rates that the attorneys have deemed alarming.

Thefts of both brands of automobile have been reported across the nation and across the greater Chicago area. In some cases, Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been targeted as part of a social media challenge and, in at least one case, led to the death of an Illinois man whose vehicle was struck by a stolen Kia.

The coalition of attorneys general is now calling on the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration to recall unsafe vehicles manufactured by the two automakers between the years 2011 and 2022, according to a letter sent to the federal agency.

Raoul and other attorneys general claim that vehicles made between those years have easily bypassed ignition switches and lack engine immobilizers that make the vehicles vulnerable to theft. Hyundai and Kia failed to equip base vehicle models with engine immobilizers, officials said, which prevent the vehicle from operating without a key or key fob.

In 2022 alone, there were more than 7,000 Hyundai and Kia thefts in Chicago, which account for 10 percent of all registered Kia vehicles and 7 percent of all registered Hyundai vehicles in the city, according to data released by Raoul.

In a letter issued in March 2023, Raoul and a coalition of attorneys general urged the companies to take stronger steps to address the safety concerns caused by vehicles’ vulnerability to theft, according to a news release. Because the companies have failed to address safety issues, Raoul and the coalition are now calling on the NHTSA to step in.

The attorneys general argue that the vehicles’ systems remain out of compliance with federal standards and pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.

“Kia and Hyundai have still not fully addressed vulnerabilities in certain models that have resulted in increased thefts in Illinois and around the nation,” Raoul said in the news release. “I am calling for a federal recall of unsafe Kia and Hyundai vehicles because I stand committed to protecting consumers and our communities from crime.

"Because these car companies have not done their part to prevent thefts, I am urging the federal government to help us protect our residents.”

While Raoul included Chicago theft data, suburban police departments have also reported several incidents of Kia and Hyundai vehicles being stolen. In Robbins, a 70-year-old man was killed after his vehicle was struck by a Kia that police said had been stolen by three 13-year-old boys.

Three teenage boys in Tinley Park were charged this week with attempting to steal a Hyundai that was parked in front of a resident’s home. In other suburban areas, including Park Forest and Plainfield, thefts have taken place and are being tied to a social media challenge specifically targeting Kia vehicles.

Kias are the latest target of a social media challenge, dubbed "Kia Boyz" or "Kia Challenge," aimed at stealing cars. Word is spreading on online platforms, including TikTok, that it's possible to steal certain cars — specifically some Kia and Hyundai models — using a USB charging cord, according to Auto Blog.

In Downers Grove and Woodridge, along with several other Chicago-area towns, local police have offered free steering wheel locks in an attempt to cut down on the theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

Raoul and the coalition claim that Kia and Hyundai have not gone far enough in attempting to remedy their vehicles’ vulnerability to theft. While the companies have offered a software upgrade, the upgrade will not be available for many affected vehicles until June, or not installed at all for some 2011 to 2022 models, Raoul said in the news release.

Vehicle owners who cannot receive the software upgrade can reportedly receive a free steering wheel lock from Kia and Hyundai, but the lock does not address the underlying ignition system flaw that makes the vehicles so vulnerable to theft.

According to Raoul and the attorneys general, the vehicles violate federal requirements to have a starting system that prevents the engine or motor and steering system from being activated when the key is removed. Additionally, the letter highlights the vehicles’ vulnerability to hot wiring and theft, officials said, which has created safety risks and consumed law enforcement and emergency responders’ resources.